


We're Not Gonna Pay

by lbooks93



Category: Rent, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Gen, M/M, Rent AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-18
Updated: 2013-08-17
Packaged: 2017-12-23 21:13:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/931158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lbooks93/pseuds/lbooks93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Living in a SHIELD funded apartment in New York City isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and that's not even a whole heck of a lot to begin with.  A story about the struggles of the Avengers in the cash-strapped New York lifestyle a la the musical RENT.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We're Not Gonna Pay

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this Stony video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDyZ5WQUujE&list=PL59DE16FA1CD40E03&index=198 after which I thought that the positions actually fit perfectly, especially with Bruce in the position of Mark, and then everyone else just sort of fell into place. And I don't actually ship Thorki, but it fit together so well that I had to do it. Hopefully Thorki fans like how I write them. This is my first time writing any sort of crossover fic, but I'm enjoying the idea.

“May 4, 2012 9 p.m. EST  
From here on in, I experiment without the previously held scientific theories, see if anything comes of it, instead of my old shit.”

Bruce smiles as he cuts off the video diary, knowing that this new approach to his work will truly either make him or break him. He is not going to be using prior studies to try and obtain minor grants, but with his total free-for-all with his work, he can’t get any grants until some sort of progress is made… and there is absolutely no guarantee of that.

The struggling scientist then packs up all of the equipment he’s actually allowed to take before stepping out of the NYU lab that he is no longer permitted to use. With a heavy sigh, the bag goes over his shoulder and he gets on his bicycle to get back home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Fuck!” Clint cries out as he misses the target again, “I can’t get these babies to land home anymore. I just don’t have the inspiration to get enough adrenaline going or something. Fuck. Maybe I should just go back to SHIELD.”

“Back to SHIELD? Now that’s not the Clint Barton I know,” Bruce says as he opens the door to their shared apartment, “I just decided to finally go my own way with my work too, so I need somebody to still look crazier than me.”

“But you’re a scientist! I’m a street-acrobat. You have to take the crazy award for this one, because at least my gig is supposed to be freelance.”

“Well, hopefully freelance plus freelance equals something to pay our not-so-free and overdue rent.”

On that note, all the lights cut out.

“And not-so-free electric bill,” Clint adds.

“My dear friends!” a voice booms from outside, “I have returned to the city of New York yet again!”

Clint and Bruce run over to the balcony and look down, seeing a large and rugged blond man down below.

“Thor!” Bruce calls down, “Good to see you again! Here, catch!”

Bruce throws the keys down to Thor before he and Clint go back inside to see if they can maybe rewire the building into giving them some power.

Thor beams as he gathers up the keys and then starts to make his way toward the building.

“Oye!” a man who somehow manages to look more rugged than Thor calls out.

“Yes, civilians? Are you in need of any aid of some kind? Would you like-“

“I fuckin’ hate foreigners, and I fuckin’ hate fairies. Looks like we got a foreign fairy, boys!” another man grumbles as he approaches Thor.

“I do not understand the predicament you seem to find us in. I have no desire to quarrel with any of you, and, furthermore, I-“ before Thor can finish, three more guys join and all five start to beat on him at once.

“This is not an even battle, nor is it a just one!” Thor cries out as he manages to throw the men off of him and take off toward an alley. The guys follow, but even more join the throng. In moments, Thor finds himself alone in an alley with twenty men who corner him and take his things from him. This leaves Thor sitting on the ground sporting enough of a bruising to not be able to rise for the time being. He coughs as he holds his side, lucky to have been left well enough to remain conscious. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“And that… should… do it!” Bruce cries out, feeling pride in his success as the lights come back on. However, only seconds later, not only do the lights cut out again, but they can hear the cries from the rest of the building as everyone else’s power also goes out.

“You sure did it, alright” Clint grins cheekily.

“Sorry I’m not Tony. This isn’t exactly my area of expertise.”

“Excuses, excuses. Hey, where’s Thor? Shouldn’t he be up here by now?”

The pair make their way over to the balcony again just in time to see a car far too nice for anyone in this neighborhood to afford pull up. The men take one look at one another and say “Fury.” As if right on cue, the aforementioned man steps out and looks right up at them.

“Banner. Barton. I need to see you two down here right now.”

“We don’t work for SHIELD anymore, Fury,” Bruce sighs.

“But since you asked so nicely, I guess we simply must come down,” Clint adds in.

“I don’t have time for this nonsense. I just need your asses front and center.”

“You at least gotta buy me dinner first!” Clint cries before the two men quickly pop back inside their apartment to head down.

A moment later, they begrudgingly appear before the less-than-patient director of SHIELD.

“You know, attitude like this is exactly what Tony’s protesting,” Bruce starts.

“Tony is protesting SHIELD’s use of his technology, not my attitude” Fury spits out, “Now listen, I need you to do me a favor.”

“Fury,” Clint starts, leaning up against the man’s car, “fuck you. You think you’re so high and mighty just because you’re the big dog now. Don’t you remember when you lived here with us, as one of the men SHIELD occasionally decided was a good choice to use and abuse?”

Completely ignoring Clint, Fury turns his attention back to Bruce, “Banner, are you still Tony’s campaign man?”

“Not exactly,” he replies with a slight drop in his volume level.

“Still dating him?”

“Tony… Tony dumped me.”

“What, he find a smarter scientist? Better bro to science with? What’s his name? Dr…?”

“Captain Steve Rogers” Bruce and Clint answer together.

“A military man? With Tony Stark?” Fury starts disbelievingly. When he gets no answer to the contrary, he busts up laughing.

“Thanks for being so understanding,” Bruce grumbles.

“You really expect sympathy from the man who just cut off our power?” Clint cries out, “Come on, what happened to you Fury? You once had ideals you pursued.”

“That’s another thing, I need last year’s rent.”

“You said we were golden when we moved in!” Clint exclaims then.

“You were golden when you were still regularly working for SHIELD. You can’t live in a SHIELD funded neighborhood without either working or paying,” re responds.

“SHIELD funded? You call this funded?! Look around at the dump we live in!” Clint is outright shouting now.

“There is one way you won’t have to pay,” Fury suggests.

“I knew it,” Bruce sighs, “What is it you want?”

“You’ll see, boys. I’m making all of our dreams come true. We’re about to live in a safe, and secure world through the work of SHIELD. And you know what, I’ll even give you a written guarantee that you can live here for free if you just take care of one small favor… Convince Tony to cancel his protest.”

“Why not just have your men come in and take it out yourselves?” Bruce asks,” you have the resources to do so.”

“Yes, and I have them on standby as a backup,” Fury cooly responds as he begins tearing down a few of Tony’s posters off the wall, “but it would look much better for SHIELD if we didn’t have to come in and be the bad guys. We want to handle this quietly.” 

“You can’t quietly knock out half the city just to build more SHIELD facilities,” Clint disagrees.

“You want somewhere to do experiments and train? You need a place to do it. Think twice before you just cast this aside. You’ll see the great facilities that will improve all of our lives and give you the resources to have it made. You’ll see, or you’ll pack.”

Fury gets back in his car and leaves on that note, leaving Bruce and Clint something to think seriously about.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“Amazing tricks before your eyes. I can make all your troubles disappear! Or at least those ugly shoes. Maybe switch them out for something a bit… more lively?”

A tall, dark-haired man with sleek style and even sleeker speaking stands on a corner where he performs his tricks. A young woman had stopped with some degree of interest, and she then got to see her falling apart sandals turn into shiny new heels. Excited and amazed, she quickly digs into her purse and drops some change before the man.

“Thank you for your generosity,” he sighs, gathering up the 52 cents she had.

Before getting ready to amaze more people with his raw power for mere pennies, he hears coughing nearby. He gathers his things and heads toward the sound.

“Hello?” he calls, but once he sees the struggling man, he makes his way much more quickly, “Oh my, are you all right?”

“I’m afraid to admit that I believe I am,” Thor replies, grinning softly around another cough.

“What did they take?”

“Well, I was without currency for them to take, but they did make-away with my travelling clothes. But I truly am well enough.”

The dark-haired man kneels before Thor then and says, “I’m Loki.”

“A pleasure to meet you Loki. I am Thor Odinson.”

“Well Thor, I believe we should take you to get cleaned up. Come with me.” He helps Thor up, and while he hisses some from some of the pain, he manages and follows after Loki.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m going to go try and find Thor. Want to come? I was thinking maybe we could all go and grab dinner,” Bruce suggests to a reclining Clint back in the apartment.

“Zoom in on my empty wallet.”

“Touché. Well, take care.”

Clint leans back and starts shooting arrows with suction tips up at the ceiling. He sighs as he looks up at the bird shape he has managed to form. Feeling particularly pitiful then, he decides fresh air on the roof is the best idea.

Once outside, he sits over on the ledge of the building. Bruce didn’t like how he would go to high places and then place himself on the edge, but it made him feel comfortable, it made him feel the adrenaline of life and death… the life and death of her.

Clint sighs as he closes his eyes, no longer looking over the nighttime city life, and thinking more of another life. Images of a younger self doing parkour and acrobatics fill his find mind, alongside a young blond woman. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After he’s had enough of the fresh air, Clint goes back inside. Almost as soon as he closes the door, he hears a knock.

“What’d you forge-“

Not Bruce.

“Got a light?”

“I know you, you’re… you’re shivering.”

The busty redhead from downstairs then makes her way into the apartment.

“It’s nothing, just doing a job. Long job left me tired. Now, would you light my candle?”

Clint comes over and drops a blanket around her, hoping to provide her comfort.

“What are you staring at?” she asks.

“Nothing, just… you look familiar,” he then pulls out his lighter and puts a flame to the candle the young woman is holding up, “Can you make it?”

“I’ve been through far worse,” she cooly responds as she strides toward the window.

“Just because you’ve been through worse doesn’t make what you’re going through now okay.”

“What?” she asks, seeing the intense way Clint watches her.

“Nothing. The look in your eyes reminded me of…”

“I always remind people of,” she interjects with a slight smirk, “Who is she?”

“She died. Her name was Bobbi.”

The candle goes out again. The woman points it out before saying, “Sorry about your friend.”

Clint comes over to her again and lights the candle.

“Ow” the girl softly bites out.

“Oh, the wax!”

“It’s dripping. I like it between my-“

“-Fingers! I figured. Oh well, goodnight,” Clint quickly cuts her off and leads her toward the door. She drops the blanket, makes her way toward the door, but then slyly blows the candle out. Then she reaches toward her jeans pocket, and realizes it’s empty. She quickly whips around and starts looking toward the ground. 

“It blew out again?” Clint asks almost hopefully.

“No, I think I dropped my badge.”

“You know I think I used to see you out and about… when I used to go out, which your candle is too now, by the way.”

“Well, most SHIELD lackies have bumped into one another at some point in time.”

Now on the floor, she starts looking under the couch, leaving Clint to stand mesmerized by the… situation, in front of him.

“You know, they say I have the best ass in all of SHIELD. Is it true?”

“What?” a suddenly bewildered Clint shakes his head to regain his senses.

“You were staring again.”

“Oh no. I mean you do have a nice- I mean- you look familiar!”

“Like your dead girlfriend, right. 

“It’s just something in your eyes.”

“How about you light the candle again?”

Clint looks and pulls out his lighter again, leaning in close to light it. There’s a moment when they’re just looking into one another’s eyes, but the young woman cuts it short.

“Come on, help me look for my badge”

“Why do you have a badge, anyway?”

“When you work regularly, you get all of the high-end credentials.”

“And the high-end work load. They’ll work you to death, you know…”

“I’m was just born to be bad.”

“I once was born to be bad,” Clint says as he stands back and watches the girl search.

“I used to shiver like that. I used to sweat. I used to be an adrenaline junkie.”

“Every now and then I like to feel good,” she suggests with the slightest quirk of an eyebrow.

“Oh, here,” Clint lets out as he leans down and picks up what has caught his eye.

“What’s that?”

“Um, just a candy bar wrapper,” he says as he sticks it in his back pocket.

“We could light the candle,” she suggests, as she comes up close to him, looking down still for her badge. Clint reaches over and snuffs the flame, “What’d you do to my candle?”

“That was the last of my lighter.”

“We’ll just have to be thankful for the moon.”

“Or maybe it’s not the moon at all. I hear Fury’s got some new tech workin’ down the street,” Clint suggests as he sits down on the couch. She follows and sits on the arm of the sofa, grabbing his arm to play with his fingers. Clint gets lost again at her touch.

“Wanna dance?” she asks, pulling him up then.

“To what?”

“Whatever,” she smirks again.

“I’m Clint.”

As she spins around, she says, “They call me,” she reaches quickly into his back pocket to retrieve her badge, “Natasha,” she says from behind into his ear. Natasha then dangles the badge in front of him before turning around and leaving the apartment.


End file.
